CIVIC INTEGRITY 251 



men. My Son has been announced to the world by the angels 

 and has been adored by the kings of the earth as He lay in 

 my arms. Let the officials of this world accommodate their 

 laws and customs to me. Instead of this, she exhibited every 

 element of civic duty and citizenship, displaying obedience 

 to constituted authority as she herself found it, although in 

 the end her very obedience and compliance was the starting 

 point to initiate the stupendous changes which afterwards took 

 place in Judea and in Rome. 



No matter with what words we might clothe the event, we 

 cannot tell the story of Mary's civic obedience and integrity 

 in the observance of law in more fitting words than those 

 of the Gospel. Saint Luke describes these episodes as follows : 



"And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a 

 decree from Csesar Augustus, that the whole world should be 

 enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the gov- 

 ernor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, every one into 

 Ills own city. 



"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of 

 Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called 

 Bethlehem ; because he was of the house and family of Da- 

 vid, to be enrolled with Mary, his espoused wife." 



It was after this act of obedience to Roman Law that 

 Our Blessed Lord was born. The evangelist goes on to tell 

 of the Mosaic law : 



"And after the days of her purification, according to the 

 law of Moses, were accomplished they carried him to Jerusa- 

 lem to present him to the Lord; And to offer a sacrifice ac- 

 cording as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle 

 doves or two young pigeons. 



"And after they had performed all things according to 

 the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city, 

 Nazareth." ^ 



Here was obedience and the fulfilment of the obligations 

 of a citizen to the foreign and domestic laws in force in 

 Judea. Although Mary knew that in her own person she 

 was an exception to the ordinary laws of nature and exempt 

 from the penalties of fallen humanity, nevertheless she will- 

 ingly submitted to the regulations of pagan rule and of eccle- 

 siastical discipline. These acts make Mary, as described in 



^ St. Luke, ii. 



